North Korea: State of Paranoia
Author(s): Paul French
Secretive, mysterious, and almost certainly dangerous, North Korea is an object of endless fascination--and worry--for the rest of the world. The world's most inaccessible nuclear power, it retains Gulag-style prison camps, completely blocks Internet access, and forbids citizens to talk to foreigners without approval--which makes the occasional report from a smart, dogged, connected analyst all the more valuable. North Korea: State of Paranoia is just such a report. Drawing on an impressive range of insider sources and previously unseen archival material, Paul French examines the nation and its ruling regime in forensic detail. He offers a close analysis of the history and politics of North Korea; Pyongyang's complex relations with South Korea, Japan, China, and the United States; and the troubling implications of Kim Jong-Un's increasingly belligerent leadership in the years since his father, Kim Jong-il, died. Straightforward and unsensationalistic, North Korea nonetheless paints a picture of a frightening unstable country, one whose sudden collapse could have globally dangerous consequences.
General Information
- :
- : Zed Books
- : Zed Books
- : 0.001
- : 31 December 2014
- : 198mm X 129mm
- : United Kingdom
- : books
Other Specifications
- : Paul French
- : Paperback
- : 951.93
- : very good
- : 480
More About The Product
Born in London and educated there and in Glasgow, Paul French has lived and worked in Shanghai for many years. A leading expert on North Korea, he is a widely published analyst and commentator on Asia and has written a number of books dealing with China's pre-1949 history and Asian politics and current affairs. His previous books include a history of North Korea, a biography of Shanghai ad man and adventurer Carl Crow, and a history of foreign correspondents in China. Paul was awarded the 2013 Edgar for best fact crime for his international best-seller Midnight in Peking.
Foreword: The Myth and the Reality of the State of ParanoiaIntroduction: The Paranoid PeninsulaPart I: The Juche Nation: Beloved Leaders, Brilliant Thoughts, Power Cuts and Empty Shelves1. A Normal Day in Pyongyang2. The Juche State: Political Theory in North Korea3. The Revolutionary Dynasty: Leadership in North KoreaPart II: The Economics of North Korea: Chollima, Speed Battles, Collapse and Famine4. Economics Pyongyang Style: Command and Control5. The Worst of Times: Food, Famine and the Arduous March6. The Start of a Sort of Reform: Change and Regime Survival7. The Reality of Reform: A Case Study of SinuijuPart III: Diplomacy and Military: Foreign Relations, Nuclear Crisis and Self-Defence8. Don't Poke the Snake: US-DPRK relations9. Nuclear Ambitions Revealed: Bluster, Brinkmanship or Battle?10. 'Military First' EmergesPart IV: Change, Collapse and Reunification11. One Korea: The Dream of Reunification12. Kim3: The Dynasty Continues13. How Will the Story End?Conclusion: Still the World's Most Dangerous Tripwire